---
title: 'Principal Electrical Engineer - Power Plant Integration Lead at Mainspring Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-electrical-engineer-power-plant-integration-lead-mainspring-energy-h2j86wbx7wfm'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-20'
---

# Principal Electrical Engineer - Power Plant Integration Lead at Mainspring Energy

- **Company:** Mainspring Energy
- **Location:** Menlo Park, CA
- **Compensation:** $221k–$260k
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-20
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy/cbccd3c2-a0d7-4215-8f21-70842c8b858b

## Job description

Job Overview As we scale our deployments from Behind-The-Meter (BTM) commercial microgrids to utility-scale Front-of-the-Meter (FTM) power plants and data centers, we are expanding our system boundaries to provide fully integrated, turn-key power solutions.

This role sits at the intersection of power systems engineering, cross-functional hardware integration, and external vendor management. You will own the technical architecture and vision of how Mainspring power plant sites are built, including full ownership of the modular power skids. This includes ownership of the broader site: how generators, inverters, skids, and energy storage come together as a complete and configurable power solution. You will act as the technical anchor, translating high-level single-line diagrams and architectural concepts into robust, mass-manufacturable modular skid-based products. The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between initial concept and factory-ready design by driving requirements across internal multidisciplinary teams (Electrical, Mechanical, Project Delivery, Software Controls, and Supply Chain) while managing critical 3rd-party design and manufacturing partners to scale the product line.

## Responsibilities

- Take full engineering ownership of Mainspring's next-generation modular power integration skids, actively translating high-level system architectures into fully commercialized, production-ready assets by driving the design from initial concept through validation and final manufacturing release

- Define and own the skid-level power topology for utility-scale and data center sites, ensuring seamless electrical and physical integration between Linear Generators, central inverters, step-up transformers, switchgear, and energy storage systems (BESS)

- Own detailed skid engineering decisions: hardware selection, spatial layout, thermal management, environmental protection (NEMA/IP rating, seismic/wind loading as applicable), manufacturability, and field serviceability

- Partner actively with internal electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, project delivery, operations, software controls, and supply chain teams to extract, synthesize, and freeze comprehensive system requirements

- Direct and manage third-party design firms and external manufacturers, serving as the primary technical point of contact to ensure engineering and manufacturing outputs align with technical specifications and quality standards

- Drive the scalability and production readiness of larger skid configurations alongside manufacturing suppliers, ensuring the architectural design leverages standardized hardware, reduces site-level installation labor, and is optimized for high-volume replication

- Own the skid's cost target and drive design-to-cost trade-offs across hardware selection, supplier strategy, and configuration options

- Develop a site design configuration tool that specifies the optimal inverter and skid configuration based upon customer site requirements

## Qualifications

- Bachelor's or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field

- 24+ years of direct experience productizing complex, multi-disciplinary industrial systems

- Deep technical knowledge of power conversion systems, including medium-voltage (MV) step-up transformers (12.47kV–35kV), central inverters, switchgear, vacuum circuit breakers, protective relays, and high-current busbar/cabling systems

- Demonstrated experience driving the engineering lifecycle of modular hardware systems, including a strong grasp of design-to-cost principles, supplier capacity scaling, field reliability, and configuration control

- Strong cross-functional leadership skills with a track record of translating diverse technical requirements from electrical, mechanical, and operations teams into a cohesive, manufacturing-ready system design

- Demonstrated success directing 3rd-party design, engineering, or Contract Manufacturing (CM) partners from initial concept through to sustained volume production

- Strong working knowledge of grid interconnection standards, utility protection schemes, and safety/compliance frameworks (e.g., IEEE 1547, UL 1741 SB/SA, NFPA 70/NEC, NFPA 855)

Bonus Qualification(s)

- Skilled in SCADA integration, industrial networking, and designing or certifying control systems to UL 508/508A standards

## About Mainspring Energy

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Mainspring Energy designs and manufactures fuel-flexible linear generators that provide low-emission, dispatchable onsite power for utilities, data centers, and industrial customers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series F)
- **Headquarters**: Menlo Park, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2010
- **Founders**: Shannon Miller

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Electric Power Generation
- Target customers: B2B – utilities, data center developers, enterprise, industrial
- Mission statement: "Redefining how local power is delivered to capacity constrained companies and communities" – enabling clean, reliable, and fuel-flexible power.

## Products & Services
- **[Linear Generator (LGen)]**: A flameless, fuel-flexible generator that converts gaseous fuels (natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, propane) into electricity with near-zero NOx emissions. Modular (0.25 MW per unit), fast-ramping (0-100% dispatchable), 46% electrical efficiency (LHV). Standardized 2.5 MW configuration (10 units). Suitable for grid-parallel or grid-independent operation, microgrids, and balancing renewables.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metrics**: Annual revenue $117M (latest fiscal year); total funding $813M; 407 employees
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: General Catalyst (led Series F, 2025, $258M), Lightrock (led Series E, 2022, $140M), BloombergNEF (grant), and others.
- **Growth Signals**: Powering the largest U.S. EV truck charging depot; >1 GW of capacity trusted by Fortune 500 companies and utilities; headcount growing +3.4% YoY; job postings up +121.4% YoY (62 active openings); recently expanded into data center market.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Fuel Flexibility**: Single generator can seamlessly switch between natural gas, RNG, hydrogen, and propane without hardware retrofits.
- **Near-Zero Emissions**: <1.5 ppm NOx (0.05 lb/MWh) – meets stringent air quality standards.
- **Dispatchability**: 0-100% load following, grid-independent operation, capable of firming renewables.
- **Low Maintenance**: Only two moving parts, no oil changes, modular design reduces downtime.
- **High Efficiency**: 46% electrical efficiency (LHV) across all scales.
- **Fast Deployment**: Factory-built, skid-mounted units enable rapid installation.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling manufacturing and deployment to meet growing demand from data centers and utilities.
- Advancing hydrogen and biogas compatibility to support long-term decarbonization.
- Expanding standardized 2.5 MW configurations to lower installed cost and accelerate timelines.
- Building a diverse, cross-disciplinary team to drive innovation in power generation.

## Why Work Here
- Culture of inclusion, respect, and collaboration across engineering, operations, and field teams.
- Emphasis on growth: "We invest in your growth because progress requires people who keep getting better."
- Hybrid/Remote options: headquarters in Menlo Park, manufacturing facilities, and remote field service roles.
- Active hiring across engineering (mechanical, electrical, software), operations, supply chain, and field service.
- Competitive salary ranges (e.g., Engineer ~$107k, Controls Engineer ~$109k, Manufacturing Engineer ~$91k) plus benefits.
- Diverse talent origins from Tesla, Stanford, Apple, SunPower, and other top clean energy companies.

## Sources
1. [mainspringenergy.com/company](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/company)
2. [mainspringenergy.com/careers](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/careers)
3. [jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy](https://jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy)
4. [linkedin.com/company/mainspringenergy](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mainspringenergy)
5. [mainspringenergy.com/product](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/product)

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